Police investigate poisoning of livestock

About 30 cattle and a few goats were allegedly poisoned at Charl Cilliers two weeks ago.

According to small-scale farmers in the area, someone dumped poisoned maize in their livestock’s grazing land.

They were told that an unknown man had been seen offloading red maize from his bakkie.

“We managed to trace and confront that person, but he denies it.

“We have lost almost R200 000 because of the poisoning.

“This grazing land we are using belongs to the Govan Mbeki Municipality. They also dump the sewage sucked from septic tanks here,” said Mr Checks Dladla one of the farmers.

The farmers said the municipality is also a problem because GMM ignored them when the small-scale farmers asked for the grazing land to be fenced and protected.

“We will be happy if Sasol can also assist us by giving or leasing land to us because we want to grow in the farming business.

He said the farmers opened a case at the Charl Cilliers Police Station and they want the culprit arrested.

Const Millicent Mqoco, Charl Cilliers police spokesperson, said a case was opened and referred to the stock theft unit to investigate.

“We get no assistance from our municipality’s Local Economic Development Department and that’s the reason we approached Sasol for assistance ,” said Mr Dladla.

Sasol confirmed a number of small-scale farmers have approached the company with a request for assistance to identify farmland for their livestock in Charl Cilliers.

Sasol subsequently engaged these farmers to assist.

The farmers identified a specific farm, and Sasol subsequently accompanied them on a visit to that particular farm in March 2021.

Following the visit, it was established that this farm is currently not available, as it is under an existing lease agreement and this was conveyed to them.

“While we understand their disappointment, Sasol has committed to assisting these small-scale farmers in securing farmland for their livestock and is working closely with them to identify a suitable farm,” said Ms Nomia Machebe, manager of Communications and Media Community Affairs, Regional Ops and Asset Services at Sasol.

The communication officer of the municipality, Mr Lucky Mhlongo, said the municipality met with these small-scale farmers on Thursday, December 9.

Mr Mhlongo said the farmers acknowledged that they had never engaged with the municipality LED office, but with their previous term councillor, Ms Smangele Ntuli.Mr Mhlongo denied that the farmers are being neglected by the LED office.

He said the municipality informed the farmers that they are illegally using municipal land and that they must apply for a lease agreement that will legalise their farming activity.

“They were also informed that the municipality does not have sufficient land for proper animal grazing, therefore the department of Agriculture and Land Affairs must be engaged for that purpose with the help of the municipality.

“We informed them that the municipality has a moratorium on this which must be lifted first before an application for lease can be considered.

“Should their application be approved, then they will have to fence off the land themselves at their own costs as farmers or use programmes that are available in the Department of Agriculture to help them, with assistance from the municipality,” said Mr Mhlongo.

He said the municipality’s Department for Technical Services will investigate the allegations of sewage being dumped in the water stream where livestock drink.